In a Mother's Eyes
by FaithBelievesInYou
Summary: Petunia's "Normal" walks a finely blurred line when she falls into the rough chasm of motherly love the instant she looks into the strange abnormality that was the abandoned-baby(Fem!Harry)-on-her-doorstep's eyes. Now her grand heartbreaking dreams of belonging in her sister's magical world come true- putting the little girl she has come to care for's very life at risk. (Wrong BWL)
1. Chapter 1

**Harry Potter, Rewritten, to be 20% Cooler.**

The morning Petunia found her sister's child on her doorstep would be a day she never, ever, forgot.

That crisp and almost brutally normal morning shattered by the abnormality of a beautiful little girl, about a year old, with locks of raven wing colored, soft ringlets of curls and her luminescent green eyes. A lightning bolt scar along one side of her unwrinkled and unworried brow made Petunia feel furious at the cause and strangely overprotective of the child she'd never before gazed at.

But it was the child's eyes that clinched it for Petunia. The look of adoration she freely gave to Petunia, as if she were the child's whole world right then and there, made Petunia feel at least ten feet tall. As if she could conquer the world; single handedly. And a brief, childish thought crossed her mind that maybe; just maybe, this feeling was what having magic was like.

Petunia's own child, Dudley, only fussed and hit Petunia in his baby innocence. And Vernon laughed and beamed in pride at the proof he was just like himself.

It gave Petunia hope that this child, this baby girl, would be her little girl, her pride, and her treasure.

Petunia carefully carried the precious, curious bundle of baby into the kitchen where Petunia had been cooking for her husband and feeding her own baby before venturing forth to see if mail had come.

Vernon was sitting in his seat at the table, ignoring a fussy Dudley as he shoveled sausages and eggs into his mustachioed mouth.

"Ah, Pet, that dreadful delivery boy didn't overshoot the paper again did-" Vernon cut off his own tangent with a sputter, eyes wide on the child Petunia carried with care.

Petunia bounced the laidback child gently as her very green eyes flitted back and forth, taking in Petunia's face as if it was marvelous.

"Petunia? What? Who," Vernon sputtered yet again, looking from Dudley to the girl, and to Petunia and at a loss all together. Petunia took pity on her rapidly purpling husband and managed to whisper, to the little girl's delight, the only sure thing she knew about the girl's who's, what's, and why's.

"There was a letter." Petunia smiled down at the beaming little girl and took her own delight in the child's little breaths and huffs and gurgles of baby laughter.

After a few minutes of being hopelessly enchanted by the babe, Petunia set her down gently, basket and all- shamed at the fact she was in an old and crudely woven basket while Dudley sat in a state of the art and safety tested high chair- and as softly as possible unpinned the note.

The envelope read:

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley

Number 4 Privet Drive

Surrey

Vernon snatched the note from her hand and opened it, reading frantically and growing redder in the face the higher the letter's word count grew. Petunia merely sighed, going to Dudley to help him with his breakfast, which had to be scooted closer for him to reach which he did with grasping hands and an open, drooling mouth.

Petunia startled when Vernon, rather violently, picked up the new babe and stomped off down the hall. "Vernon! Where are you going?" His eyes blazed as he spun around and their eyes met with perfect understanding.

Vernon was off to rid them of the little girl's burden. And Petunia, fiercely, would not accept that.

And normalcy stopped for Petunia after that.

It was a year later; living with the girl and every other major holiday with Dudley, that Petunia realized everyone had their own grasp of the term Normal.

And her normal was now the American Magic Elite Task Force, countless tutors and visits to and fro Salem Academy, and so many other things. Sometimes they were Private things. Her little girl was amazingly advanced. Enough so that she was on par with people decades older, with an eidetic memory, and countless questions.

Heartbreakingly, one of the only ones Petunia really couldn't fathom the true answer of is why. Why didn't her real parents keep her? It made the little girl extremely self aware. And Petunia furiously helpless.


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry this took so long. There was so much to _read_ I forgot to take the time to write.

Chapter 1:

Petunia felt slightly sick to her stomach at the thought of her Dudley being in the care of Marge Dursley, but given she had only alimony and a practically orphaned niece, her divorce lawyer had done the best he could.

Literal sickness, a flutter in her stomach as she recalled Vernon's sister's rough way with every small creature with the only exception being her spoiled rotten dogs. Her poor Dudley, her baby boy, subjected to_ that_.

Petunia steeled herself as she looked into her account, left for emergencies and consisting of the monies she had gotten from her mother's and father's respective Wills.

A flash of the old, slow burning hate returned to her as she remembered perfect Lily's letter. Too dangerous to see their parents being lowered to their final resting spots. Telling her she didn't need anything they'd left her and that Petunia would need it more than her. That god awful ending paragraph on how death was an adventure.

Her precious bundle, wrapped in a light pink blanket in Petunia's arms, made a small sad sound.

Petunia's heart raced as this was the first time she'd ever uttered anything other than happy sounding gurgles and coos. But as the girl seemed to gaze her doe like eyes into her very soul she smiled happily again, content to snuggle her head into Petunia's thin arms.

Petunia bit her lip before looking over the account and her settlement agreement again. She was sitting cross-legged, back to a pillow propped on the headboard of her hotel room's oddly comfortable bed. She'd paid a week's rent; taken Dudley's second highchair, swing, and the old crib her own parent's had in their storage from the storage facility it'd been sitting in, and packed her things neatly. She decided to breast feed for now, happy enough that the girl had latched on.

It brought back painful, embarrassing memories of Vernon going on about breasts and squeezing one right in front of the ob-gyn.

Her girl chose then to make little coos. They sounded comforting. She almost sang, little "Ohhh-oh, Ohhh-oh's" in a soft repetition that successfully calmed Petunia down and brightened her disposition.

Oddly enough the child seemed to know when Petunia felt better, because she ceased after a moment, content to sit still and enjoy the feeling of being held and safe. For Petunia was awfully sure, by the diaper rash and several other small details, that her girl had recently not had the chance to be held. She might be wrong, hoped for the sake of Lily she was wrong, because diaper rash of that severity, and for the baby to not be crying in pain, was totally heartbreaking. And the millions of times Petunia stood for her sister's heartbreaking was might finally be crushed under the weight of this blow.

Perhaps Lily simply didn't notice because the baby was naturally pleasant all around. Perhaps not but mother used to say "Ignorance is Bliss" and Petunia would rather have bliss than the unthinkable alternative.

Realizing the time, she carried her over to the chair in the corner, and tucked a pillow around her side. After that first day, Petunia realized that while her baby didn't fuss, she also didn't cry for food or when wet.

And when you think about a baby learning crying doesn't help relieve hunger or uncomfortable situations- well, Petunia had already shed those tears to the now familiar sound of her baby's coos. Although it had made the thought of it worse, just a bit, for her to be comforted by the baby seemingly incapable of tears. And Petunia was soothed and guilty feeling at the same time.

She closed her eyes and took a breath that to her dismay almost dislodged the baby. Those big green eyes looked up at her and blinked rapidly before tentatively suckling. At Petunia's smile, the babe went back to her normal speed, one that held a gentleness that worried Petunia the first few feeds, tracing Petunia's blonde hair with content eyes or reaching out a small and from her recently unbound blanket and touching Petunia's arm or chest lightly. It reminded her of the parenting classes Petunia had taken where they had explained if babies didn't have a form of skin contact for a certain time they'd die.

Petunia's desperately tried to hold back the tears but the baby had already tensed slightly and the eyes were back to hers.

Sighing, she spoke to the girl, who since day one listened to her every word. You could just tell by her little face and gaze she was focused on Petunia's voice, her expression, and she reacted to the tone very well.

"I read the letter, finally." Petunia informed the girl softly. Her suction slowed but she remained focused, eyes locked on Petunia's and tiny ears twitching.

"Dear Tuney,

I wasn't rather certain what to write. But I'm writing anyway because both you, and my daughter when the time is right, deserve an explanation. And trust me; it's a whopper of a tale.

I have permission to tell you only what everyone else knows.

You heard all through my Hogwarts summers about the Dark Lord. He's been killing witches like me. Witches and wizards who were born to muggles are dying in greater numbers every day. Non-magical people are called Muggles, just so you know.

When I married James, a pureblood that obviously didn't want to kill me, I was already happily pregnant with twins.

Shortly after the wedding Sev, Remember him? Sev discovered a prophecy. About my son, Aiden, and it came true.

He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named came into our house where my friend Mary was babysitting. He killed her in front of Wish's crib and when he went to kill Aiden, he blocked the unforgiveable curse and vanquished the Dark Lord.

We thought the worst was over. We were wrong. Terribly horribly wrong, in fact.

Petunia, I forgot about Wish. I left her in her crib and took Aidan outside as if he were more important. Better than her. She was almost killed by a deatheater because she had slipped my mind.

And here, Petunia, here is my shame.

I can't place when I first heard her laugh. I don't recall when she got my eyes, when she ever crawled or if she was ready to nibble on solids like her older brother. I can't remember anything about her other than changing her or giving her a bottle when Aiden cries for either. I can't remember, Petunia, when my baby stopped crying.

I remember when they were a week old and she would snuggle into James and we'd call her a daddy's girl. Now she just lies there, staring at nothing. Eats half of her bottle only if we don't spook her, which can be anything from talking too loudly to making anything but a happy face and even then we can't look at her.

We had Poppy check her over but she's perfectly healthy. We met a professional in secret and he suggested she doesn't like us. My one year old hates me Tuney. Or, she's scared of me. I don't know which is worse.

I put in her birth certificate, her papers, and we'll send you money at the first of every month until we catch Lestrange. Or she starts Hogwarts.

Aiden is such a loud baby. Fussy, but so brave, and we, James and I, need to keep him safe.

So, I'm leaving Wish in your care. I know you recently had a baby, but I'm sure you can handle another. No death eaters will be at your door.

Tell Wish nothing, just that Mummy and Daddy love her very much and she'll see us at Hogwarts one day. I'll tell her the rest.

Thank you Tuney; I know I'm not giving you much choice but we don't have much choice either. As long as you live together, you're protected by wards.

Love you and my Wish,

Lily Potter (Mum)"

Petunia glared at her sister's curly letters and crumpled up the letter into a ball once again. She'd balled it up, smoothed it out, and repeated many times.

Her sister's audacity, her sister's plan to just drop the baby girl off at her doorstep and leave her there for a time unknown that still gave Petunia sleepless nights, it all left a bad taste in her mouth.

Her shirk of responsibility instead of taking charge, instead of earning her baby's trust, instead of simply fixing her behavior, blew Petunia's mind.

She had trouble with her baby so let's leave it at the aunty's house for a week, month, or decade.

She carelessly dropped the letter to the floor and looked down at a curious green stare.

"I love you, baby girl." She assured the now quite finished baby as she gently burped her and carried her back to the bed where she looked again at her money statement.

Then, before she could change her mind, she picked up her mobile.

"Hello? It's Petunia, from the Dursley divorce? Yes, it's nice to talk to you again. No, no, everything's fine, it's just, do you happen to know a lawyer who can help me with a sensitive issue? I want to adopt my niece."

There was a pause where he rustled about with papers. "Yes, I've got paper and a pen nearby" Petunia took the complementary notebook and pen and carefully scribbled down the information. Thank you. You have a good day too."

Petunia sighed and carefully dialed the number, checking it twice.

She'd protect her daughter alright. From all and any harm; Whether Lily thought she was harm or not.

Petunia was very confused.

Very, very confused, Petunia just blinked from the lawyer's smile to his brother and finally to her baby.

The adorable girl in her new white dress with ruffles and lacy bloomers over her diaper, tiny tights and white faux fur baby boots, a white band with a bow encircling her head and helping keep her ringlets in place.

"I'm sorry, what?" Petunia asked.

The brother straightened up, "The United States of America wishes to extend amnesty to you and your daughter, Mrs. Dursley."

"It's Evans." She corrected absently, fumbling with straightening the tiny beads decorating the tiny boots. "The adoption, though? Can I adopt her?"

"Of course, I'll help you with that regardless if you take the offer or not. I just thought with the loose memory charms on muggles laws here in the UK; you'd appreciate the help America offers."

Petunia took a deep breath and thought hard.

Her dear girl decided for her with little hands reaching for the brother. He made sure he had Petunia's permission before smiling and giving the tiny girl his whole attention.

"Where, exactly, in America?"


End file.
